Angus Stuart will be performing the Gospel of Mark at the St Andrews United Church and Centre for Peace on May 11 at 7 p.m. Stuart will be performing “Testament of a Naked Man”, a dramatization of the life and death of Jesus Christ. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 and only remaining tickets will be sold at the door, all proceeds will be donated to Reverend Emilie Smith and the Peace House in Guatemala.
In 2009, Reverend Emilie Smith, an Anglican Priest, began a two-year project with the Anglican Church of Canada and Episcopal Church of Guatemala. During this time, Smith established a Peace House in Santa Cruz del Quinche.
“It is a place of dialogue, healing and refreshment. Many, many people in Guatemala suffered in the 36-year civil war that officially ended in 1996 with the signing of peace accords; almost every family has had one or more people killed or “disappeared.” The pain and anguish continues, as well as the violence in the country that teeters on the brink of lawlessness and suffers extreme poverty. The work that Emilie Smith is doing with the Peace House is one of healing and reconciliation, both amongst the local people and in their relationship with people from the north in Canada who in the past have been seen as exploiters of the land rather than as a positive influence,” says Angus Stuart.
Because the operations is run by volunteers, there are no administrative fees. All the money goes directly to the Peace House.
Testament of a Naked Man is trying to raise enough money to allow the Peace House to continue its work for at least another two years. Angus Stuart is also an Anglican Priest from West Vancouver . On Palm Sunday of 2007, he began telling the story of Jesus Christ’s arrest, his trial and crucifixion. This inspired Stuart to memorize the complete Gospel of Mark.
“People have said again and again how powerful and moving it is to see the whole Gospel presented in one sitting. People are engaged in a way that they are no when simply reading the written word or hearing excerpts read. It is as if they are transported back in time and actually witness what Jesus was saying.”
If you would like a ticket to Testament of a Naked Man, call the St Andrews United Church at 250-344-6117 or email markstestament@shaw.ca.
